


Mud and Shade

by HeatherGiesbrecht



Category: Darksiders (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - First Meetings, Annoyed Death (Darksiders), Blood, Complete, Cross-Generation Relationship, Decapitation, Demons, Developing Relationship, Dialogue Heavy, Eating, Fights, Fire, Gen, Interspecies, Jealousy, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Nephilim (Darksiders), Non-Canon Relationship, One Shot, Pre-Darksiders II (2012), Pre-Slash, Scythes, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 00:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8122900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeatherGiesbrecht/pseuds/HeatherGiesbrecht
Summary: Death’s spells could prevent shadow walking for a while, but eventually they would fall and one could escape. He didn’t plan to let that happen.





	

The stench of blood, rot and death hung as heavily in the air as the smoke itself. Death’s scythes sliced through the dragon’s stomach, intestines and a torrent of blood thickened the mud. He back-flipped to avoid the flailing claws, somersaulted behind it then leaped up to decapitate the beast. Before the head halfway reached the ground he had already landed, turned and started after the Shade. His spells could prevent shadow walking for a while, but eventually they would fall and one could escape. He didn’t plan to let that happen.

A grey and black shape disappeared into the trees ahead. Two blue sigils he’d never seen before hung from a gigantic fir’s branches, as he passed beneath them they chimed. Suddenly there was a flash of light that silhouetted the Shade, he took the opportunity to throw the no longer twinned Harvester into its back. The serrated blade met no resistance from the steel and leather armour. Finally, the dragon’s head landed among its intestines.

“That was one of Vulgrim’s best customers you just killed, Nephilim. What are you going to give Vulgrim in compensation ?”

Vulgrim was a blue-skinned demon, floating on a wisp of sapphire energy, a pair of vestigial leather wings covered in bandages rose from his back and his eyes glowed emerald. Two short twisted black horns rose from Vulgrim’s forehead and the back of his skull while two thicker curved horns were capped with golden rings. Curved claws clustered with rings of gold and various jewels folded as the demon waited for his answer.

He ignored the demon instead striding to wrench Harvester free, it disappeared into the ether ready for summoning should he have need. “Not killing you should be compensation enough, Demon.”

“How generous, but I must insist on something - a trinket, a few spells...some souls perhaps. You are a necromancer, you must have some to spare.”

“How do you know that...Vulgrim ?”

“I am a merchant, a purveyour of goods, whether that is weapons, spells or information matters not to me. I have heard many whispers of the Nephilim’s ride, of weapons without equal and a necromancer so powerful that even Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, fears his potential. Even more than the other Nephilim you stink of death.”

“In normal circumstances flattery would gain you nothing, but if it means that you will bother me no more.” As he didn’t want to give up the more knowledgeable souls that he held he released ten of the children’s souls. Where he expected Vulgrim to hold out his hand and siphon away the souls for safe-keeping, the demon instead raised the souls to a fanged mouth and consumed them.

“Ah, thank you, I do enjoy the little ones. Find my chimes and we might bargain some more. I look forward to our next meeting, Nephilim.” Vulgrim disappeared in a swirl of light and mist.

“Did anyone escape ? I thought I saw something.” That was Absalom’s voice.

A strange surge of annoyance flooded his limbs and he stayed the curse that rose to the tip of his tongue. “No, Absalom. One attempted to flee, I killed him and released a few worthless souls alongside him.”

He and Absalom turned to re-enter the smoky, muddy battlefield to see how many of their brothers remained. Though he would not admit it to anyone, much less to himself, he did indeed start to seek out Vulgrim’s chimes. Quite a few bargains were struck, whether to the benefit of one or all, and friendship, and even perhaps the seeds of a more passionate emotion, came along with them. Whether the relationship would flare to new life as an inferno or die like the slow fading of an ember, time alone would tell.


End file.
